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I used to work at a restaurant that is known for its ice cream and terrible service... (starts with "Friend" and ends with "ly's"). Basic turnover was so fast that even though I worked there when I was 16 and again when I was 17/18, no one works there anymore that I worked with either time (and I'm turning 22 in less than a month!) Needless to say, we had terrible management, terrible pay, and terrible customers. Really can't get a worse job than that.
Anywho, I had this one table of customers when I was working there the first time (when I was 16-- 6 years ago!) that I still remember vividly to this very day. I even remember where they sat! They came in, standard family of 4 with mom (m), pop (p), 2 daughters(d1 and d2). I grab the silverware and go over to the table (not my only table of the night, mind you. I had 3 other tables besides them at the time. This is important later). I say Hi, my name is *Shabo*, yadda yadda, can I start you off with some drinks? M immediately says yes, and turns to d1 and asks what she wants. D1 starts pointing to our big kids drinks (which would have added like $1 to the cost of the kids meal or something like that) and M says, no you can't have that. D1 points to another drink, M says no you can't have that. Rinse, repeat. Finally, M says to D1 that she can have milk or water, but nothing else. Meanwhile, I'm still standing there, pen in hand, strained smile, thinking *why the bleep didn't you say that to begin with!!!!
* D1 picks milk. M orders milk for D2 as she was too young to pick a drink for herself. Then M orders drink and P orders drink. I leave to go get drinks. When I come back to deliver them, I had a new table waiting for me, so I left the SC table and went to the new table. When I was done there, I stopped by the SC table to see if they were ready to order.
M says they are, so I pull out my pen and paper. This process to be described took at least 5 minutes-- no lie. M asks D1 what she wants to eat. D1 starts pointing out different items on the kids menu. Every item she points out, M says she can't have. Finally, with 2 items left on the kids menu, M says those are her only choices. D1 picks mac and cheese. Rinse, repeat with D2. The D1 and M start arguing over whether D1 can have a bowl of clam chowder. They go back and forth a few times, then M finally gives in. When that's done, M says that she has no idea what she wants and hasn't even looked at the menu yet. I ask if she wants me to wait to put in the kids meals since they cook really fast, but she says no, put them in anyway. At this point, I have 2 tables glaring at me but I can't just leave this one table alone. I go put in the kids orders and take care of my other tables.
Come back to SC table. M has she it narrowed down between a burger and a sandwich. She tells me that P wants the clam strips basket though, so I write that down. She still is deliberating between the two, so I tell her that the burger will take 15 minutes while the sandwich will take about 6 or so. She decides on the burger anyway. Fine. I go put in the order, and have wasted another 2 minutes on this lady. At this point, the kids meals are done, so I bring them out. Then I get another new table, so I go take care of them. When that's done, I check on the kids meals. They're eating happily, M and P are a little peeved that they haven't gotten their food, but hey, I warned em. Finally, M and P's food is up. Deliver food. Go take care of other tables.
While I'm getting refills for a table, my manager comes in and tells me that SC table complained about the food, specifically the clam strips basket, and that she had already removed it from the bill. I *drop what I am doing* to go out there and see if I can get him anything else. Soon as I get to the table, I say that I heard there was a problem with the clam strips and ask if there is anything else I can do for them. M starts telling me that there was a chunk of tomato in the tartar sauce, and that it had grossed out P so much that he was unable to finish this. (If I may say so, no one in this family looked like they had *ever* skipped a meal, even if it was icky F-ly's food). I asked if there was anything else I could get him, clam chowder, fries, ice cream, and M says no, he's completely lost his appetite. I tell them that it's ok, he's not getting charged for the plate, and apologize profusely for the problem. M gives me a little crap about how there was a chunk of tomato in the tartar sauce, I explain that the sauces are kept in small open containers near the food prep area, and that a chunk of tomato could have accidentally slipped in there. They seem OK with the idea that he's not paying for it. I go back to what I'm doing.
When I am done, I go back to SC table as the kids are done eating and I wanted to get their ice cream orders out of the way. I ask them what they would like, they point it out, no problems there with M, so I take their plates and go get their ice cream. They both ordered soft serve dishes, which melt unbelievably fast. After I do that, I check up on other tables, yadda yadda. I don't really have time to go back to SC table, nor do I want to since every stop there is a 2-10 minute ordeal for them while my other tables (with nicer people) sit around glaring at me. Finally, I go back, ask if they want anything else at all, and M reminds me that they never got their clam chowder for D1. I apologize, tell her that it's not on the bill, and put it in a to-go container and bring it out with the bill. So now, they have gotten *two* free things from the restaurant. Off I go to take care of other tables.
A few minutes later, I look over at SC table. They're gone. They have covered their table in those papers that we use as placemats for the kids, left the ice creams melting all over the papers, even put papers on top of the ice creams. I can't see the surface of the table for all the paper they left there. Then I ask the manager if they paid, and the manager says no, they complained about my service and the wussy manager caved and gave them their *entire meal* for free. I was furious! They wasted SO MUCH of my time, then had the GALL to complain about MY SERVICE?!?!?!?!
Whatever, I've got stuff to do. I go back and start cleaning off the table. Yes, the servers there have to bus their own tables if they aren't too busy. As I'm cleaning off the table, I'm hoping that somewhere, somehow, they have left even a dollar for me under this mound of paper.
Can we say, thieves and cheapskates? Not so much as a penny. The whole ordeal took an hour and a half. Normal dinner is an hour for a larger party. In addition, M was soooo snippy to me the entire meal, made me stand around their table for several minutes each time I went there, and made me neglect my other tables. If I had known they were going to be like that, I would have treated them a lot worse. So, not only did THEY not tip me, but no one else gave me great tips because I wasn't exactly a great server to them, either
. (Mind you, most servers rely on tips to make minimum wage as most restaurants only give servers $2.63 an hour). And P seemed like a good guy that wouldn't have given me a lot of flak, but the only thing that I think M allowed him to say to me was his drink order. That's it. Other than that, he was sitting there, silent as a statue. Thanks a lot, SC Mom. If I ever see her face again, I'm so going to tear her a new one.
Anywho, I had this one table of customers when I was working there the first time (when I was 16-- 6 years ago!) that I still remember vividly to this very day. I even remember where they sat! They came in, standard family of 4 with mom (m), pop (p), 2 daughters(d1 and d2). I grab the silverware and go over to the table (not my only table of the night, mind you. I had 3 other tables besides them at the time. This is important later). I say Hi, my name is *Shabo*, yadda yadda, can I start you off with some drinks? M immediately says yes, and turns to d1 and asks what she wants. D1 starts pointing to our big kids drinks (which would have added like $1 to the cost of the kids meal or something like that) and M says, no you can't have that. D1 points to another drink, M says no you can't have that. Rinse, repeat. Finally, M says to D1 that she can have milk or water, but nothing else. Meanwhile, I'm still standing there, pen in hand, strained smile, thinking *why the bleep didn't you say that to begin with!!!!
* D1 picks milk. M orders milk for D2 as she was too young to pick a drink for herself. Then M orders drink and P orders drink. I leave to go get drinks. When I come back to deliver them, I had a new table waiting for me, so I left the SC table and went to the new table. When I was done there, I stopped by the SC table to see if they were ready to order.M says they are, so I pull out my pen and paper. This process to be described took at least 5 minutes-- no lie. M asks D1 what she wants to eat. D1 starts pointing out different items on the kids menu. Every item she points out, M says she can't have. Finally, with 2 items left on the kids menu, M says those are her only choices. D1 picks mac and cheese. Rinse, repeat with D2. The D1 and M start arguing over whether D1 can have a bowl of clam chowder. They go back and forth a few times, then M finally gives in. When that's done, M says that she has no idea what she wants and hasn't even looked at the menu yet. I ask if she wants me to wait to put in the kids meals since they cook really fast, but she says no, put them in anyway. At this point, I have 2 tables glaring at me but I can't just leave this one table alone. I go put in the kids orders and take care of my other tables.
Come back to SC table. M has she it narrowed down between a burger and a sandwich. She tells me that P wants the clam strips basket though, so I write that down. She still is deliberating between the two, so I tell her that the burger will take 15 minutes while the sandwich will take about 6 or so. She decides on the burger anyway. Fine. I go put in the order, and have wasted another 2 minutes on this lady. At this point, the kids meals are done, so I bring them out. Then I get another new table, so I go take care of them. When that's done, I check on the kids meals. They're eating happily, M and P are a little peeved that they haven't gotten their food, but hey, I warned em. Finally, M and P's food is up. Deliver food. Go take care of other tables.
While I'm getting refills for a table, my manager comes in and tells me that SC table complained about the food, specifically the clam strips basket, and that she had already removed it from the bill. I *drop what I am doing* to go out there and see if I can get him anything else. Soon as I get to the table, I say that I heard there was a problem with the clam strips and ask if there is anything else I can do for them. M starts telling me that there was a chunk of tomato in the tartar sauce, and that it had grossed out P so much that he was unable to finish this. (If I may say so, no one in this family looked like they had *ever* skipped a meal, even if it was icky F-ly's food). I asked if there was anything else I could get him, clam chowder, fries, ice cream, and M says no, he's completely lost his appetite. I tell them that it's ok, he's not getting charged for the plate, and apologize profusely for the problem. M gives me a little crap about how there was a chunk of tomato in the tartar sauce, I explain that the sauces are kept in small open containers near the food prep area, and that a chunk of tomato could have accidentally slipped in there. They seem OK with the idea that he's not paying for it. I go back to what I'm doing.
When I am done, I go back to SC table as the kids are done eating and I wanted to get their ice cream orders out of the way. I ask them what they would like, they point it out, no problems there with M, so I take their plates and go get their ice cream. They both ordered soft serve dishes, which melt unbelievably fast. After I do that, I check up on other tables, yadda yadda. I don't really have time to go back to SC table, nor do I want to since every stop there is a 2-10 minute ordeal for them while my other tables (with nicer people) sit around glaring at me. Finally, I go back, ask if they want anything else at all, and M reminds me that they never got their clam chowder for D1. I apologize, tell her that it's not on the bill, and put it in a to-go container and bring it out with the bill. So now, they have gotten *two* free things from the restaurant. Off I go to take care of other tables.
A few minutes later, I look over at SC table. They're gone. They have covered their table in those papers that we use as placemats for the kids, left the ice creams melting all over the papers, even put papers on top of the ice creams. I can't see the surface of the table for all the paper they left there. Then I ask the manager if they paid, and the manager says no, they complained about my service and the wussy manager caved and gave them their *entire meal* for free. I was furious! They wasted SO MUCH of my time, then had the GALL to complain about MY SERVICE?!?!?!?!
Whatever, I've got stuff to do. I go back and start cleaning off the table. Yes, the servers there have to bus their own tables if they aren't too busy. As I'm cleaning off the table, I'm hoping that somewhere, somehow, they have left even a dollar for me under this mound of paper. Can we say, thieves and cheapskates? Not so much as a penny. The whole ordeal took an hour and a half. Normal dinner is an hour for a larger party. In addition, M was soooo snippy to me the entire meal, made me stand around their table for several minutes each time I went there, and made me neglect my other tables. If I had known they were going to be like that, I would have treated them a lot worse. So, not only did THEY not tip me, but no one else gave me great tips because I wasn't exactly a great server to them, either
. (Mind you, most servers rely on tips to make minimum wage as most restaurants only give servers $2.63 an hour). And P seemed like a good guy that wouldn't have given me a lot of flak, but the only thing that I think M allowed him to say to me was his drink order. That's it. Other than that, he was sitting there, silent as a statue. Thanks a lot, SC Mom. If I ever see her face again, I'm so going to tear her a new one.
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